Europe may send 100,000 troops to Ukraine after ceasefire – Reuters

European countries are discussing the possibility of sending up to 100,000 troops to Ukraine. The proposal will be considered in the event of a ceasefire or a peace agreement. Reuters writes about this with reference to its sources, reports UNN.

Details

The talks, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, are in their early stages, but they have already revealed differences over the possible goals and mandate of such a mission, and even over how appropriate it is to raise the issue now.

Some officials are still considering the possibility of providing security guarantees to Ukraine by European countries, in particular by sending tens of thousands of soldiers to Ukraine. However, in talks with Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Paris on December 7, Trump rejected the involvement of US troops in enforcing the ceasefire and insisted that the Europeans would have to play that role alone, two sources told Reuters.

This could mean the deployment of European forces in Ukraine, regardless of whether Kyiv receives security guarantees through NATO membership – as it hopes – or through bilateral agreements.

“Even if there was a security guarantee from NATO, where would the momentum on the ground come from? It would be European, so our army chiefs are already preparing plans that European leaders could consider in the future,” said a high-ranking official from Europe.

Deterrent forces can be formed by a coalition of five to eight countries, a Ukrainian official said. In particular, large European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Great Britain could make up the bulk of the forces.

Analysts and officials give varying estimates of the size of such forces, stressing that much will depend on their specific mission. Some analysts believe that it is appropriate to create about 40,000 military personnel.

According to Franz-Stefan Gadi, an Austrian military planning specialist now at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the mission could have about 100,000 troops on a mission at any given time under rotation patterns where units prepare for deployment and recover after deployment.

“It will definitely stretch European ground forces a lot,” he said.

One European security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said up to 100,000 troops could be needed.

According to Gadi, such forces can be formed if some European countries cut other missions, for example, peacekeeping in the Balkans.

Addition

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw is currently not considering the possibility of sending its troops and, together with President Zelensky, plans to discuss ways of uniting the West to support Ukraine.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated that Berlin would most likely play a role in enforcing the ceasefire, but it was too early to say what forces would be needed.

Deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine: what formats are being consideredDecember 10 2024, 14:12 • 125869 views